John McAslan was born in Glasgow and educated at the University of Edinburgh, obtaining an MA in Architecture in 1977 and Diploma in 1978, along with the Diploma year prize. He trained in Boston USA with Cambridge Seven Associates before joining Richard Rogers and Partners in 1980. He founded John McAslan + Partners in 1996.
McAslan is Executive Chairman of the practice and is active in all of its work across studios in London, Edinburgh and Sydney. In 1997 he established the John McAslan Family Trust, which, as a registered charity, provides support for arts and educational projects in the UK and overseas. John’s philanthropic activities include JMP’s initiatives projects in the UK and abroad, and in particular establishing the Dunoon Burgh Hall Trust, now a centre for contemporary arts in Scotland.
John McAslan + Partners’ work has been widely published internationally in professional journals, newspapers and in the form of monographs. The practice, named World Architect of the Year in 2009, has received in excess of 150 design awards, including 25 RIBA national and international awards, three European Union prizes for cultural heritage and the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade.
In 2012 John McAslan was appointed Commander of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen and also served in 2012 – 2013 as Honorary Consul for the Republic of Haiti in London. In 2013 John was appointed Regent to the University of Edinburgh and the following year was awarded an Honorary Degree of Doctor honoris causa. In addition, John is a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Architects in Scotland, a Fellow of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, an Academician at the Royal Scottish Academy, and an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects.